What court records are not open to the public?

Other court cases can also be sealed if the judge is convinced there is a good reason not to let the public access them.

How do I find a court record?

You can find a public court record by:

Going to the Clerk's office at the courthouse where the court case was filed and giving the Clerk the case number and ask to see the case file; or

In some counties, going online to the Clerk's website.

If you do not know the case number, most clerks have computers that allow you to search by the Plaintiff’s or the Defendant’s name. Once you have the case number, the Clerk can then get the court file for you.

If the Clerk does not have a computer, you can look in the Clerk’s ledger book under the Plaintiff’s or the Defendant’s name.

In some counties, you can find a public court record by searching online. Many Clerk's offices post court records online that you can check from the internet. They can tell you basic information about the parties and the docket entries, which tell you what happened in the case on each court date.

You usually won’t be able to read the documents that have been filed if you are searching online. However, the docket entries will have the information you want to know, like whether someone has been sued or evicted before.

How do I search court records online?

Depending on what county the court case was in, there are different websites you may use. Judici.com offers online court records for over 60 counties in Illinois. Several counties that have their own search websites.